Best Budget Mattresses of 2025

Innerspring mattresses are composed of steel coils topped with layers of cushioning made with either fiber-filled padding or foam, and they’re great for a bit of bounce. These innersprings, priced at $600 or less, offer strong performance at wallet-friendly prices.

Foam mattresses consist entirely of foam layers. These models under $600 offer great support and comfort overall in CR’s tests.

Each mattress we test has an Overall Score that’s determined by its performance in our assessments, including stabilization and durability. To test stability, we drop a 38.5-pound weight onto the mattress and measure the vibrations at the point of impact and across the mattress. This indicates how easily sleepers can shift their weight without disturbing a partner. We also test how well the mattress keeps its shape over time by operating a machine that moves a 300-plus-pound wood roller across the surface 30,000 times. 

The ratings for mattress comfort and owner satisfaction included in the Overall Score are based on data from survey results on almost 67,000 mattresses. We’ve also recently begun examining the environmental and health impact of mattresses, taking into account a range of factors, including materials and construction, durability, owner satisfaction, and shipping footprint. Our Green Choice recommendations are designated with a green leaf icon in our comprehensive mattress ratings.

Consumer Reports evaluates lower-priced mattresses the same way we test any mattress: by putting them through our exhaustive lab tests, as well as asking thousands of CR members about how well their mattresses have served them. Put together, this information provides a good sense of what a mattress offers for a variety of body sizes and sleep positions. Whether a mattress costs $300 or $3,000, we hold it to the same performance standards.

Certain qualities matter for some sleepers more than for others, and that’s especially important to keep in mind when buying a lower-priced mattress. For instance, mattresses costing $300 or $400 probably won’t have the things you’d expect from a higher-end mattress, such as a thick, soft cover or multiple foam layers. If those attributes matter to you, consider reassessing your price range. 

We’ve noted whether these mattresses include some of these extras in our comprehensive mattress ratings, but they don’t have an impact on a bed’s Overall Score. What we factor into the Overall Score are the features that can affect the quality of your sleep, a bed’s support ratings, and the mattress’s longevity. 

The best budget-friendly models excel in these crucial areas at a lower price, typically around $600 or less for a queen-size mattress. If your budget is flexible, consider our other picks for best mattresses.